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Michael Carrington
Michael Carrington is a character from the 1982 sequel movie Grease 2. Michael is a British exchange student who was clean cut and proper. He is the cousin of Sandy Olsson, who was a British-Born Australian. His closest friend at Rydell was Frenchy, who would eventually become his go-to-girl for advice. After mistakenly trying to open "his" locker, he was accosted by the "owners" of those lockers, the T-Birds. They informed him of those lockers being "A sacred landmark" by Johnny Nogerelli and a "Piece of American His-tow-ry" by Louis DiMucci. Michael understood, and tried to introduce himself, but the T-Birds laughed him off and Johnny flung him towards an open locker. As Michael recovered from the not-quite-friendly exchange, he met the Pink Ladies leader, Stephanie Zinone, and became smitten by her. A week later, when he was staring at Stephanie at the track, Frenchy cautioned him on Stephanie's allegiance to the Pink Ladies and - by extension - the T-Birds. "Look but don't touch". He didn't heed her advice to "not even look," and asked her how he could become one of the T-Birds. That night, after the T-Birds and Pink Ladies had a humorous musical "battle" at the Bowl-A-Rama (Score Tonight), Michael arrived, ready to make an attempt at befriending the T-Birds and Pink Ladies by asking them if he could join the game. Inside, Stephanie was mad at Johnny for kissing Paulette Rebchuck then wanting a "Trophy" kiss from her. She claimed she could kiss the next guy who walked through the door. An old guy came in and the T-Birds razzed her. However, Michael stepped in at the right moment and she laid a heart-stopping kiss on Michael right in front of anyone. Michael, stunned as the T-Birds at the unexpected kiss, asked if it was too late to join the game, but they were angry at what happened. The T-Birds clapped their hands, pointed towards the exit, and snapped, "Food!" Meaning they were heading out to eat, and nerds - or kid sisters - weren't invited. Eventually, Michael found a friend in Dolores Rebchuck, as they both had been ousted by the "Cool Crowd." "Well, looks like you and me don't make the grade." A month later, identical twins Stacie & Gracie had begged him (demanded, actually) to play the piano for the Talent Show auditions. He was performing for not only the twins, but also Sharon Cooper's "Seasons" AKA Calendar Girls, which Stephanie was a part of. He asked if she was free after school, but she joked, "I'm free every day. It's in the Constitution." When the auditions were cut short due to Ms. Mason's upcoming Drama Class, Michael took that opportunity to ask Stephanie out for a hamburger later. "I'm busy". "Tomorrow?" "Busy." He asked why she'd kissed him like that if she didn't expect some kind of response in kind, but she said "It was just a joke. Forget it." `Forget it', Hell! He pressed one last time: "How about the day after tomorrow?" and she let him have it with her desire for a Cool Rider (Song). Dejected and rejected, he left as she continued her song. Immediately afterwards, T-Bird Louis DiMucci came up to him, needing help on his `Fall of Rome' essay ("I didn't even know they were in trouble!"). Louis offered to pay "Paper for Paper. Essays for cash." Michael accepted the offer and helped write the T- Bird's essays to earn the money for a motorcycle. One thing all of the T-Birds had in common is they all "Got a rep to protect." and they were less-than-exemplary when it came to schoolwork. *Louis DiMucci: The Fall of Rome *Goose McKenzie: 2 assignments, including one on 'William The Conqueror'. *Johnny Nogerelli: An essay - which Johnny actually complimented the "Nice penmanship." *Davey Jaworski: Sex Morality And The Animal Kingdom. In a deleted scene right after `Reproduction', right after Johnny asked Stephane, "What's the rush, ya gotta take a pill?" and before Mrs. McGee was talking with Mr. Stuart in her office, Michael was accosted by Davey and asked for his `help' with his essay. Michael surprised Davey by finishing his sentence about keeping the deal between them, because: "You got a rep to protect." "Well, uh... yeah." Afterward, he bought a scrapped motorcycle from Pfeil's Cycle Salvage, rebuilt it completely, and taught himself - though a couple months of trial-and-error - how to ride it, and with help from Frenchy (in a deleted scene) on how to act like a cool rider. In his epic debut as his Lone Rider alter-ego, saving Davey Jaworski's life from the brutal Cycle Lords, he put his devastating kickass biker skills to the test, severely whipping Leo Balmudo's gang, saving the day, and making Stephanie Zinone fall in love with him - but not really him, just his alter-ego. The next day, in Frenchy's chemistry lab, he tried to admit to Stephanie that he was Lone Rider, but he faltered, and Stephanie seemed confused by his odd `Have you ever read a Superman comic' question; How could they have read a comic? They were in classes all day. Michael backed off and retreated. Later at Stephanie's dad's service station, he returned as Lone Rider and took Stephanie out on a romantic sunset ride. On their return to the station, he was again about to reveal his true identity, when the T-Birds intervened. Later, upon learning of Stephanie's problems in Ms. Mason's English class, he offered to tutor her. While at the Burger Diner, Stephanie unloaded on him about her ambivalence towards Lone Rider, wondering if he was an ordinary guy behind the goggles. As they talked, he assisted her with her Hamlet essay, as she was actually right in what she'd written but phrased it wrong. He encouraged her "You seem to have the right idea." So gave her more erudite phrases "Incestuous relationship", and she was thrilled. In a moment of wonder and affection, she paid him a huge compliment, "You're a really smart guy, you know that?", while making a disparaging remark about her being "Some kinda dummy". He cared way too much about her to agree to that, and disagreed "Actually I think you're kind of terrific." Outside of the Burger Diner, Stephanie and Michael exited, concluding another conversation, and she said to him that lots of girls at Rydell who would love to go with a guy like him. Seeing an opportunity, he asked her if she would. She scoffed at the idea and said that they were just different types. They'd gotten really close in the restaurant, he complimented her, she complimented him. He'd gone from "God, what a nerd" to "You're a really smart guy." Later, during the lunch rush in the cafeteria, Davey accidentally pushed Stephanie into Michael. Both were heartbroken. Stephanie didn't act it but she really did care about Michael, and if not for "The Pink Lady Code" - and her seeming obsession with Lone Rider - she'd probably have actually been interested in him. Besides, he wasn't as seemingly callous and chauvinistic as Johnny. Michael was distraught over the vaguely "Romeo and Juliet" relationship, and also his having to choose between being her Lone Rider or being himself (Charades). During the night of the June Moon Talent Show, he reappeared as Lone Rider, to take Stephanie on another romantic ride, but the T-Birds intervened, giving chase. He and his Cool Rider motorcycle tore through the town until he came to a dead end, Dead Man's Curve. He crashed through the barricades, and the cycle hit the edge of the deep chasm, and Michael flew off into the darkness. At first, Stephanie thought he had perished, but he was nowhere to be seen. Michael had actually made the 100-foot jump and had enough time to return to Rydell, get to the talent show, and play the piano - as well as sing along with Stephanie when she went into her grief-induced catatonic state, (Love Will) Turn Back The Hands of Time, which helped the Pink Ladies with the Girl's division of the talent show. At the Lani Kai Lani Luau, when Coach Calhoun drove Principal McGee and Blanche Hodel around the Pool of Enchantment, Michael could be seen, munching on a cotton candy. Later that night, as the luau raged on, the Cycle Lords gate-crashed and ruined the luau. As the Cycle Lords and Leo Balmudo gloated, Michael reappeared as Lone Rider - amazing everybody ("it's him!" "It's him!" "He's alive!") - and commenced a royal smack-down on the rival cyclers. After their defeat, Michael revealed his true identity. Although Johnny was furious, he was amazed that a "nerd" had become a biker. He gave Michael a T-Bird Jacket and the other T-Birds accepted him as their newest member - although they graduated days later. Stephanie was amazed and relieved that he was alive, and shocked that the guy who she initially rejected had changed himself to become her beloved Cool Rider. It was him she had loved all along. As Micheal revels himself, he is nervous upon wondering what Stephanie would think of him as her "mysterious guy". However, Micheal finds out Stephanie has fallen in love with him as well as Cool Rider. Micheal and Stephanie share a passionate kiss and celebrate the fact they can finally be together. Michel ends up with Stephanie. ("We'll Be Together") In the original Grease, Sandy changed her pure image to be with Danny. In Grease 2, Michael changed his pure image to become Stephanie's leather-clad "Cool Rider." He was played by Maxwell Caulfield. Notes Despite the film's commercial failure and subsequent damage to Maxwell Caulfield's career in the '80s, in recent interviews he has stated he loves Grease 2 now because of the film's adoring fans - and they are legion - and also that his daughter is a huge fan of Grease 2 herself. Category:Characters Category:T-Birds Category:Students Category:Hot Nerd Category:Beautiful Geek Category:Bad-Ass Category:Booksmart Category:Male characters